First responders, good neighbors are hometown hurricane heroes

IN THE SOUTH, THE PHRASE “dog days of summer” is just not as apropos as “hotter than the hinges of Hades!” It does not get much hotter than that, and we who live along the Gulf Coast have firsthand knowledge of the excessive heat and humidity that befall us, particularly in August and September.

That’s the height of our fifth season of the year: hurricane season! For the past two decades, several of the worst hurricanes to hit the Gulf Coast have visited Louisiana.

As Louisianans, we are all too familiar with the hurricane drill:
• Board the windows with plywood
• Tape glass windows
• Trim trees and clean gutters
• Remove projectiles from the yard: lawn furniture, garbage cans, plants, windchimes
• Fill cars with gas
• Gather a three-day supply of nonperishable foods and water
• Collect first-aid kits, flashlights, batteries, important papers, pet food
• Collect manual can openers, lighters, and matches
• Get ice!
• Evacuate!

It is in disasters such as hurricanes that we come to truly appreciate our first responders, Catholic and Christian charities, societies of St. Vincent de Paul, shelters, and good Samaritans across the Gulf South and throughout the nation. These are our hurricane heroes.

But not to be forgotten are our neighborhood heroes who live next door and just down the street. Their typical uniforms are cutoff shorts, tank tops, and Cajun Reeboks (a.k.a. shrimp boots). These heroes include the guy who brings a hot cup of morning coffee when the electricity is out; the friend who delivers barbecued shrimp on French bread or fire-roasted duck breasts because everything is thawing in the freezer; the couple who offers a bag of ice and hunts down a generator for you; the lady who helps rake the leaves and pile the branches at the curb; the man who brings his chainsaw to cut the trees that have fallen on the house; and the prayer warriors who storm heaven with their rosary beads, seeking help from Louisiana’s patroness, Our Lady of Prompt Succor.

Like so many others, Louisianans are a resilient, fun-loving, hardworking, faith-filled people who take their knocks and keep on praying.

Chef John D. Folse is an entrepreneur with interests ranging from restaurant development to food manufacturing catering to culinary education. A cradle Catholic, he supports many Catholic organizations including the Sister Duke Ministry at Cypress Springs Mecedarian Prayer Center in Baton Rouge, LA

Michaela D. York is vice president of communications for Chef John Folse & Company